Issue #10

Changing stuff just for changes sake is old news. Designing with data is hot. Making design decisions based on user behaviour and then optimising the experience can lead to a better customer experience and more completed sales.

I’ve realised that part of my work is to do with business + design and that I should start talking about it! This issue, I’ve taken the Productivity section out (you’ve got 9 previous issues of tips to get started!) and put in a Business section - sharing all the best from the web about design-led business and e-commerce. If the clicks go up - I know I’m on to a good thing!

Thank you for reading! Here’s to using data to help make design decisions next week!

I’ve started really diving into Google Analytics to understand customer journeys and to filter down to the information I need. Here, you’ll find seven reports that you may want to take a peek at before starting your data-led design process.

Providing the optimal customer experience (CX) is key to the success of your business, but it can often be difficult to break down into measurable elements. Usabilla come to the rescue with this post about defining a measuring criteria to customer experience.

Content design is vital - people still read! The right words can make or break trust; they affect your tone of voice and how people perceive your site. Get rid of those ambiguous words and start communicating clearly

Social commerce / conversational commerce. The way of generating business is transforming to a fully digital operation. Here, Chris Messina discusses how, before the end of this year, we’ll start interacting with companies via Facebook Chat, Whatsapp and Slack. Good reading!

A treasure trove of actionable hints and tips to start getting your business website more user-friendly. Also talks about tablet interfaces, mobile UX, responsive design and email design. One to thumb!

WTFUX! Some usability issues are obvious to people outside an organisation, but not so visible inside it. “Like a fire extinguisher, the buy/check out button should be available and visible at all times (without being obtrusive), ready for that crucial moment when you "commit.”

PK Mahanandia still doesn’t understand why people think it was a big deal to cycle to Europe.
“I did what I had to, I had no money but I had to meet her. I was cycling for love, but never loved cycling. It’s simple.” Sometimes the simplest things are the best things and getting out of ones comfort zone and doing what feels right can have a positive effect on you and the people around you. Let’s all be a bit more like PK!

Andrew Wilkinson of Metalab recently said on Facebook that the one positive change he made this time last year was to meditate with Headspace. Headspace “is a gym membership for the mind” and comes with a Free 10-day trial. I’ll start using it and see how it helps!

The day before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day​, Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, sent a message to all Slack employees. The message is a reminder of how we all need to stop, take stock and appreciate the world we live in. There’s still a lot of hard work to do.